Minnesota COVID testing survey halted after workers are greeted by racial, ethnic slurs

[NewYorkExpress]

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/minnesota-halts-covid-19-study-reports-intimidation-73247079

Minnesota officials have stopped a COVID-19 testing study after multiple reports that state and federal public health workers were greeted by racial and ethnic slurs as they went door-to-door.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pulled federal surveyors out of Minnesota this week after they experienced verbal abuse and intimidation. In Eitzen, along the Iowa border, one survey team was boxed in by two cars and threatened by three men, including one with a gun.

“The team felt the intent was clearly to intimidate and scare them,” said Stephanie Yendell, who supervised Minnesota’s role in the survey. “Unfortunately that wasn’t the only incident.”

.....

Yendell said the teams that included people of color reported more incidents than teams with only white people. “We had a Latina team member who said she’d been called a particular epithet more times in the last week than in her entire life," she said.

Incidents occurred mostly in central and southern Minnesota — rural areas where there has been more resentment over COVID-19 restrictions.

[GP270watch]

Minnesota safe D, lol.

[Pyro]

What on earth?

[ProudModerate2]

Disgusting Deplorables.
But of course, blue-avatars would be proud to call these people their brothers and sisters.

[Indy Texas]

So much for Minnesota Nice.

[T'Chenka]

This is especially disturbing considering this is Minnesota and not the south.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

This is especially disturbing considering this is Minnesota and not the south.

Not really. Boston has a reputation for being the most racist city in the country, and they didn't need a Klan for that.

The fact that we immediately associate incidents of racism with the South is what allows stuff like this to fly under the radar so often.

[Ferguson97]

This is especially disturbing considering this is Minnesota and not the south.

Racism does exist above the Mason-Dixon line.

[GeneralMacArthur]

This kind of thing didn't happen under Obama, but now under Trump it's been so normalized that it barely warrants an article.

Meanwhile if anything similar happened to reverse-partisan constituencies, like someone trying to fundraise for the police and getting boxed in and threatened by BLM supporters, Fox would fill up an entire weekend with coverage of the incident.

Just another example of the huge double standard the parties are subject to in American society today.

[ProudModerate2]

This is especially disturbing considering this is Minnesota and not the south.

Not really. Boston has a reputation for being the most racist city in the country, and they didn't need a Klan for that.
The fact that we immediately associate incidents of racism with the South is what allows stuff like this to fly under the radar so often.

I've heard rumors about Boston, but never really put much weight behind them.
I was talking to a couple about 4 years ago at a party, and the wife (a Hispanic woman) told me of the racism/bigotry she personally received, multiple times, while visiting this city.
I couldn't believe it (but I do now).

[Indy Texas]

This is especially disturbing considering this is Minnesota and not the south.

Why do people continue with this fiction that racism only exists in the South?!

[T'Chenka]

This is especially disturbing considering this is Minnesota and not the south.

Why do people continue with this fiction that racism only exists in the South?!

The article mentioned that it was not an isolated incident. Racism is everywhere but I thought it was less prominent outside of the south.

[GP270watch]

This is especially disturbing considering this is Minnesota and not the south.

Not really. Boston has a reputation for being the most racist city in the country, and they didn't need a Klan for that.
The fact that we immediately associate incidents of racism with the South is what allows stuff like this to fly under the radar so often.

I've heard rumors about Boston, but never really put much weight behind them.
I was talking to a couple about 4 years ago at a party, and the wife (a Hispanic woman) told me of the racism/bigotry she personally received, multiple times, while visiting this city.
I couldn't believe it (but I do now).

 Boston is such a racist city that the median net-worth for black Bostonians is $8 dollars according to a survey. This is compared to $247,000 for whites.

 Boston is such a racist city within the state of Massachusetts that a judge commissioned a study by Harvard to find why there was such a huge disparity in incarceration for black people in the state. They found the only explanation for both incarceration and sentencing disparity was systematic racism.

[Fuzzy Bear]

The behavior is wrong.  Indeed, past a certain level, it is a crime.  That is, if it happened the way it's actually true:

https://kttc.com/2020/09/25/eitzen-responds-to-alleged-intimidation-of-covid-19-survey-workers/

In the early evening of September 15, a concerned citizen notified a city official of three people driving an unmarked vehicle with California state license plates. The team of people were going door to door claiming to be conducting a covid-19 survey and tests. The city was not notified prior to the team’s arrival, and we felt there was a need to follow up on the situation. A city official and two other residents met the covid-19 team to verify their identification. Two vehicles driven by the city official and residents were parked on either side of the Covid-19 team’s vehicle, but it was never blocked. The city official asked the Covid-19 team for identification, which was presented. Out of an abundance of caution, the Houston County Sheriff’s Department was also contacted to verify the team’s presence in the city. The Sheriff’s department did state that the vehicle was supposed to be marked, but they confirmed the team was part of the Department of Health. After properly identifying the team, they were left to continue conducting their research within the city. We would like to make it clear there was never a gun or any weapon present and no threats or aggressive behavior occurred during the interaction between the city members and the covid-19 team. We can only assume that the team misinterpreted a large fire department communication radio in a holster for a firearm.

I don't know about you, but I'd be very skeptical about someone coming up to my residence stating they were with a state agency in a car with California plates. 

It would be a truly deplorable incident if it happened as the OP says it happened.  There's evidence that it did not happen that way. 

[fhtagn]

This kind of thing didn't happen under Obama

I refuse to believe you unironically think that.

[Kingpoleon]

This is especially disturbing considering this is Minnesota and not the south.

Not really. Boston has a reputation for being the most racist city in the country, and they didn't need a Klan for that.

The fact that we immediately associate incidents of racism with the South is what allows stuff like this to fly under the radar so often.

The Ku Klux Klan was as powerful in Massachusetts as it was anywhere. They successfully impeached a governor who tried to crack down on them.

[Sol]

The behavior is wrong.  Indeed, past a certain level, it is a crime.  That is, if it happened the way it's actually true:

https://kttc.com/2020/09/25/eitzen-responds-to-alleged-intimidation-of-covid-19-survey-workers/

In the early evening of September 15, a concerned citizen notified a city official of three people driving an unmarked vehicle with California state license plates. The team of people were going door to door claiming to be conducting a covid-19 survey and tests. The city was not notified prior to the team’s arrival, and we felt there was a need to follow up on the situation. A city official and two other residents met the covid-19 team to verify their identification. Two vehicles driven by the city official and residents were parked on either side of the Covid-19 team’s vehicle, but it was never blocked. The city official asked the Covid-19 team for identification, which was presented. Out of an abundance of caution, the Houston County Sheriff’s Department was also contacted to verify the team’s presence in the city. The Sheriff’s department did state that the vehicle was supposed to be marked, but they confirmed the team was part of the Department of Health. After properly identifying the team, they were left to continue conducting their research within the city. We would like to make it clear there was never a gun or any weapon present and no threats or aggressive behavior occurred during the interaction between the city members and the covid-19 team. We can only assume that the team misinterpreted a large fire department communication radio in a holster for a firearm.

I don't know about you, but I'd be very skeptical about someone coming up to my residence stating they were with a state agency in a car with California plates. 

It would be a truly deplorable incident if it happened as the OP says it happened.  There's evidence that it did not happen that way. 

Well, as we know, not wanting to talk to somebody in that situation naturally requires hurling racist epithets.

[Badger]

This kind of thing didn't happen under Obama, but now under Trump it's been so normalized that it barely warrants an article.

Meanwhile if anything similar happened to reverse-partisan constituencies, like someone trying to fundraise for the police and getting boxed in and threatened by BLM supporters, Fox would fill up an entire weekend with coverage of the incident.

Just another example of the huge double standard the parties are subject to in American society today.

This. Conservatives and Trump supporters, while generally holding abhorrence for such Behavior, still ultimately tend to shrug it off as "$hi# happens", rather than indicative of any larger over-reaching societal problem(s).

[MasterJedi]

It's the rural Midwest, everyone should already know it really hates outsiders and is incredibly racist and sexist. This is not new, that's why a lot of the young people who go into professional jobs generally leave unless the town is close to a major city.

[Fuzzy Bear]

The behavior is wrong.  Indeed, past a certain level, it is a crime.  That is, if it happened the way it's actually true:

https://kttc.com/2020/09/25/eitzen-responds-to-alleged-intimidation-of-covid-19-survey-workers/

In the early evening of September 15, a concerned citizen notified a city official of three people driving an unmarked vehicle with California state license plates. The team of people were going door to door claiming to be conducting a covid-19 survey and tests. The city was not notified prior to the team’s arrival, and we felt there was a need to follow up on the situation. A city official and two other residents met the covid-19 team to verify their identification. Two vehicles driven by the city official and residents were parked on either side of the Covid-19 team’s vehicle, but it was never blocked. The city official asked the Covid-19 team for identification, which was presented. Out of an abundance of caution, the Houston County Sheriff’s Department was also contacted to verify the team’s presence in the city. The Sheriff’s department did state that the vehicle was supposed to be marked, but they confirmed the team was part of the Department of Health. After properly identifying the team, they were left to continue conducting their research within the city. We would like to make it clear there was never a gun or any weapon present and no threats or aggressive behavior occurred during the interaction between the city members and the covid-19 team. We can only assume that the team misinterpreted a large fire department communication radio in a holster for a firearm.

I don't know about you, but I'd be very skeptical about someone coming up to my residence stating they were with a state agency in a car with California plates. 

It would be a truly deplorable incident if it happened as the OP says it happened.  There's evidence that it did not happen that way. 

Well, as we know, not wanting to talk to somebody in that situation naturally requires hurling racist epithets.

Again:  That's assuming that actually happened.

[Badger]

The behavior is wrong.  Indeed, past a certain level, it is a crime.  That is, if it happened the way it's actually true:

https://kttc.com/2020/09/25/eitzen-responds-to-alleged-intimidation-of-covid-19-survey-workers/

In the early evening of September 15, a concerned citizen notified a city official of three people driving an unmarked vehicle with California state license plates. The team of people were going door to door claiming to be conducting a covid-19 survey and tests. The city was not notified prior to the team’s arrival, and we felt there was a need to follow up on the situation. A city official and two other residents met the covid-19 team to verify their identification. Two vehicles driven by the city official and residents were parked on either side of the Covid-19 team’s vehicle, but it was never blocked. The city official asked the Covid-19 team for identification, which was presented. Out of an abundance of caution, the Houston County Sheriff’s Department was also contacted to verify the team’s presence in the city. The Sheriff’s department did state that the vehicle was supposed to be marked, but they confirmed the team was part of the Department of Health. After properly identifying the team, they were left to continue conducting their research within the city. We would like to make it clear there was never a gun or any weapon present and no threats or aggressive behavior occurred during the interaction between the city members and the covid-19 team. We can only assume that the team misinterpreted a large fire department communication radio in a holster for a firearm.

I don't know about you, but I'd be very skeptical about someone coming up to my residence stating they were with a state agency in a car with California plates.  

It would be a truly deplorable incident if it happened as the OP says it happened.  There's evidence that it did not happen that way.  

If by "evidence" you being a self-serving claims of the individuals involved that no siree officer, I sure never pointed a gun or threatened anyone!

Seriously fuzzy, are you so stubborn and hunting for media unfairness that you think these department of health professionals are lying about being repeatedly called racial slurs by these individuals? And if that's true, How likely does it make their claim of a gun being brandished also true?

Just because the clods in question didn't confess to the police they literally committed a criminal act hardly constitutes reliable "evidence". But rather only another justification in your ad infinitum self-serving narrative.

[Badger]

This kind of thing didn't happen under Obama

I refuse to believe you unironically think that.

That was a silly thing to say for sure. Hate crime monitoring organizations actually noted a spike in such incidents and crimes coinciding with Obama's election and re-election.

However, it is worth noting he absolutely nailed it regarding the rest of his post which you omitted

but now under Trump it's been so normalized that it barely warrants an article.

Meanwhile if anything similar happened to reverse-partisan constituencies, like someone trying to fundraise for the police and getting boxed in and threatened by BLM supporters, Fox would fill up an entire weekend with coverage of the incident.

Just another example of the huge double standard the parties are subject to in American society today.

[RINO Tom]

It's the rural Midwest, everyone should already know it really hates outsiders and is incredibly racist and sexist. This is not new, that's why a lot of the young people who go into professional jobs generally leave unless the town is close to a major city.

... okay...  Disagree completely and not my experience at all.

[Horus]

It's the rural Midwest, everyone should already know it really hates outsiders and is incredibly racist and sexist. This is not new, that's why a lot of the young people who go into professional jobs generally leave unless the town is close to a major city.

Can confirm.

[Badger]

It's the rural Midwest, everyone should already know it really hates outsiders and is incredibly racist and sexist. This is not new, that's why a lot of the young people who go into professional jobs generally leave unless the town is close to a major city.

... okay...  Disagree completely and not my experience at all.

These are both oversimplifications. It truly does depend on the community.

For example, when my wife and I lived in Western Ohio, she worked for a rural Arts Cooperative that had been around for many years on the other side of the Indiana border. Her dealing with the various nonprofit committees were all very much about what we could do as a community and as a countywide organization and bring in everyone else. If I remember correctly the entire County, although only slightly less populous than ours, had a single school board for the entire County as opposed to our five or six. Meanwhile, my wife had tremendous difficulty getting the volunteers from two separate Villages that were literally adjacent and extremely similar in size and culture - - Arch conservative German Catholics-- to work together rather than having separate committees for their individual villages, over the reluctance to have to work together.

 Less than an hour drive apart, but a total world of change.